How to store vegetables
Best place: the fridge. USDA gives vegetables a fridge time (3 to 4 days, from purchase) and no pantry time, so they belong in the fridge as soon as you get home. The freezer gives 10 to 18 months.
No guideline
3 to 4 days
from purchase
Recommendation is for storage after cooking.
10 to 18 months
best quality within
Keep frozen. For safety, cook as directed.
USDA notes for vegetables
- Vegetables: Recommendation is for storage after cooking.
- Vegetables: Keep frozen. For safety, cook as directed.
- Vegetables: Should be discarded after use-by date.
How to tell vegetables have gone bad
General signs for food purchased frozen, the group USDA lists vegetables under.
- Greyish-brown, dry patches on the surface (freezer burn)
- Heavy frost or ice crystals built up inside the package
- Package that feels soft or has clearly thawed and refrozen
- Off smell as soon as the food starts to thaw
- Freezer odour that has soaked into the food itself
More on food purchased frozen. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Keep the freezer at 0 F (-18 C) or colder, and push older items to the front so they get used first. Wrap or repackage anything with damaged packaging to limit air exposure. Thaw in the fridge, not on the counter, and cook or use thawed food within a day or two.
How to store other food purchased frozen
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.